Robert Jackson Sworn in as Senator of Redrawn District 31

By ARIEL PACHECO

State Sen. Robert Jackson carefully chose In-Tech Academy middle and high school campus in The Bronx’s Marble Hill neighborhood as the site for his latest inauguration as a veteran senator on Feb. 4, following his November 2022 reelection in redrawn District 31. In addition to a large swath of Manhattan, the district also includes the Bronx neighborhoods of Marble Hill, where the school is located at 2975 Tibbett Avenue, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights, Van Cortlandt Village, and parts of Fordham Manor, Jerome Park, University Heights, and Morris Heights. Education has always been one of Jackson’s central policy issues.

By MARY LOU POMPEII

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign designed to help people make informed food choices and develop healthful eating and physical activity habits. It was created 50 years ago by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), a trusted source of food and nutrition information. This year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future,” which aims to highlight how we can eat with sustainability in mind. The topic of food waste is not commonly discussed, yet it needs our attention to help protect our oceans and landfills from unnecessary debris. According to AND, Americans throw away billions of pounds of

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced on March 8 that 24 bathrooms at 12 subway stations across the City will reopen to the public May 2. The 12 stations with reopened bathrooms are the second group in NYC Transit’s phased reopening of subway bathrooms since they were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bathrooms, one male and one female at 12 stations, will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a one-hour closure for cleaning from noon to 1 p.m. “Following a successful launch, we felt comfortable moving forward with the next group of stations,” said NYC Transit President Richard Davey.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Fordham Heights resident, Jose Gonzalez, was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday, March 8, of the murder of FDNY Emergency Medical Technician, Yadira Arroyo, who he ran over with her ambulance nearly six years ago, according to the Office of the Bronx District Attorney. Darcel Clark, Bronx district attorney, announced the news the same day. As reported, after years of waiting, the family of the victim received news that Gonzalez was finally fit to stand trial on Sept. 21, 2022. In the context of the conviction announcement, Clark said, “Jose Gonzalez was convicted today of first-degree murder in

By SÍLE MOLONEY

A New York City Parks employee who was arrested on Tuesday, March 7, in The Bronx on forgery and other charges, has had his case adjourned according to documentation from the Bronx Criminal Court. An NYPD spokesperson said that on Tuesday, March 7, at 9.35 a.m., Anibal Nieves, an off-duty, 47-year-old male employee of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, was arrested in the 46th Precinct which covers the neighborhoods of Fordham, University Heights, Morris Heights and Mount Hope. He was charged with forgery, possession of a forged instrument, unauthorized sale of a farecard, and loitering. On

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is seeking the public’s help locating a 14-year-old girl reported missing from Norwood. It was reported to police that Litzy Espinal Rojas, of 3599 Bainbridge Avenue, Apt 6I, Bronx, NY, was last seen on Sunday, March 5, at around 2 a.m. inside her home, located at 3599 Bainbridge Avenue. She is described as a female, is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds, is Black Hispanic, and has brown eyes and black hair. Police said she last seen wearing a black sweater, black leggings and black and gray sneakers. Anyone with information in regard to

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Calling all Bronx Parents! Now is the time for New York City families throughout the five boroughs to register their children for an unforgettable summer of free Fresh Air Fund experiences at sleepaway camps in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley, or for them to visit volunteer host families along the East Coast. The Fresh Air Fund’s Camp Junior in Harriman State Park, New York is named in memory of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz, a 15-year-old victim of gang violence who was murdered on East 183rd Street and Bathgate Avenue in the Belmont section of The Bronx in June 2018. “Camp Junior,”

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD is asking for the public’s help identifying the people seen in the attached video who are sought for questioning in connection to a shooting that occurred in Williamsbridge. It was reported to police that on Feb. 27, at around 6.23 a.m., at the corner of East 213th Street and Barnes Avenue, three unidentified individuals fired 15 rounds into a victim’s parked vehicle. “The individuals fled northbound on Barnes Avenue in a white Mercury Marquis, 4-door sedan that another unknown individual was driving,” a police spokesperson said. “The victim’s vehicle was vacant at the time of this incident

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Applications for the fourth annual Oyate Group Brandon Hendricks Scholarship have officially opened, with an award of $20,000 going to each of two applicants for the first time in the scholarship’s history, organizers announced on March 2. Previously, as reported, the organization offered $5,000 in total in scholarship funds. Founded in honor of Brandon Hendricks, a 17-year-old, rising basketball star, who, as reported was fatally shot in crossfire at 1726 Davidson Avenue in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx on June 28, 2020, the scholarship, according to Oyate Group officials, provides graduating seniors the opportunity Brandon never received,